Owner of Nucleus Mall arrested in a land scam case in Ranchi

In a significant turn of events, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended Bishnu Kumar Agrawal, a prominent businessman and proprietor of Nucleus Mall, on Monday. Agrawal's arrest comes after an intensive six-hour-long interrogation regarding suspected irregularities in land transactions within the Ranchi region. According to insider sources from the ED, the questioning extended late into the night due to Agrawal's delayed arrival, culminating in his arrest at 10.30 pm. The investigation had kicked off when Agrawal presented himself at the ED office around 4 pm.

The sequence of events leading up to Agrawal's arrest reveals a series of summons and missed appearances. Originally summoned by the central agency in May, Agrawal had requested an extension on May 8, citing medical grounds. His eventual appearance on June 21 subjected him to a nine-hour questioning session. During this inquiry, ED officials indicated that further questioning would be necessary. Subsequently, another summons was dispatched for his presence on July 17, which Agrawal skipped due to medical reasons. A second summons, dated July 26, was also ignored on account of religious commitments. The culmination of this summons saga resulted in his mandatory appearance on Monday, leading to his arrest.

The ongoing investigation conducted by the ED has exposed a collusion between Agrawal and the former deputy commissioner, Chhavi Ranjan. Allegations suggest that they conspired to acquire non-saleable land and other properties by employing forgery and manipulation of records. Notably, Agrawal also acquired a one-acre disputed plot on Chesire Home road. The ED's assertions indicate that Ranjan had instructed the then circle officer, Manoj Kumar, verbally to oversee the mutation process in this particular case. The agency further alleges that a quid pro quo arrangement existed between Agrawal and Ranjan as part of the transaction.

Parallel to this development, the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi rendered its decision on Monday, denying bail to Afar Ali. Ali stands accused in the Ranchi land scandal for orchestrating counterfeit documents through collaboration with Ranjan, emanating from the Registrar of Assurances office.

This story was earlier published by ET Realty

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Owner of Nucleus Mall arrested in a land scam case in Ranchi

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